Founded in 2014, Yacht Harbour has now gone through nearly 3 years of rapid growth, packed with milestones and interesting events. In this list are 11 things about Yacht Harbour that are not widely known, but we thought were interesting enough to share.
#1 Yacht Harbour started as an Instagram channel
Even though Yacht Harbour's initial plan was to build a web platform for a marketplace of yachts for sale, the company started an Instagram account in August 2014 to get some sort of traction, ahead of the launch of its website in December of that year.
At a time when no yachting media companies were on the platform, the strategy proved successful and saw Yacht Harbour get to 10,000 followers in under 4 months. This, in turn, proved instrumental to getting the first users to Yacht Harbour.
#2 We power instant results for a Top 5 search engine
Another little known fact about Yacht Harbour is that the company's index powers an instant result snippet for search engine, DuckDuckGo. One of the 5 available search settings on an iPhone, DuckDuckGo is a search engine built with privacy in mind.
Any user searching for a particular yacht on the platform, will see on top of search results an image of the yacht with it's main specifications, which DuckDuckGo displays using an API built by Yacht Harbour on top of its database for the search engine.
#3 News coverage was first meant as a content marketing play
Even though our audience is now spread evenly across its superyacht marketplace and its news section, Yacht Harbour's editorial coverage was started only in October 2015 to act as a content marketing vehicle for its search platform.
Despite these plans, news coverage rapidly evolved and grew to serve the purposes of a true media company, which Yacht Harbour has since become. Stories broken by our news department are now often used as sources by international media such as the BBC, CNBC and others.
#4 We built a chat bot to answer any yachting question
Developed in a wave of growing excitement over chat bots, Brook became the first chat bot in yachting that used a combination of machine learning, natural language recognition and big data to answer any question related to yacht.
Although Brook was since retired due to a lack of users, Yacht Harbour did manage to build a working version, answering over 80% of asked questions. Its original interface can still be seen here. When live it was even accessible from the Telegram messaging platform.
#5 Our content can be found on Forbes and Business Insider
As part of its content distribution strategy, Yacht Harbour struck deals with Business Insider to distribute part of its English-language content and to contribute stories to the French and Russian versions of Forbes.
With news stories around yachting and articles trying to open up the field to a more general audience, this content was read over 2 million times so far in 2017.
#6 We ran a crowdfunding campaign in our first year
Far from today's peak of attention around ICOs, Yacht Harbour ran a crowdfunding campaign in 2015 as an experiment, ahead of the launch of its charter marketplace to offer heavily discounted deals and lifetime advantages for participants.
Through the campaign, Yacht Harbour raised just under $3,000 from a series of contributors. The value of some the items offered then by Yacht Harbour has grown over 1,000x today.
#7 We get 10 million impressions of our content every month
Having rapidly grown from the 23 visitors Yacht Harbour on the day of it's launch, the company's combined channels now reach over 10 million impressions every month. This figure includes Yacht Harbour's website traffic, social media reach and audience on third-party platforms.
#8 There are sometimes easter eggs on Yacht Harbour
Sometimes overtaken by the holiday spirit, Yacht Harbour's homepage can sometimes change to adopt a special skin for limited times as seen above. So far, the company has dressed up its website for Halloween, Christmas and New Year's Eve but other events may soon be coming.
#9 One million minutes are spent watching Yacht Harbour's videos monthly
Playing an increasingly important role for any media company, videos have been a key to Yacht Harbour's success as well with over 800 days worth of videos being watched on our platform every month. The latest Black Pearl video alone reached over 3 million impressions on our network.
#10 Our Facebook page outranks its nearest competition 10 to 1
Owing much of its success to social media, Yacht Harbour has always tried to dominate the space in the superyacht sector and Facebook is currently the most reflective of this paradigm. Whereas Yacht Harbour gets 36,500 engagements on its page every week, the nearest competition currently sits at 3,300 engagements per week.
#11 It took us over 20,000 hours to build the Timeline platform
A major step forward in yacht search, Yacht Harbour's Timeline platform was launched in May 2017 after over 20,000 hours of research. The platform, compared to a Bloomberg terminal for yachting, lets its subscribers track the market in real time, discover the story behind any yacht and find the best deals on the market with big data.
Photos by Julien Hubert
After 24 months of engineering and construction, the 41m Dynamiq GTT 135 Stefania was completed at the company’s shipyard in Massa, Tuscany.The full-aluminium superyacht features an exterior created by Monaco-based studio Dobroserdov Design. The exclusive colour palette of metallic gold and dark brown sets her apart from all the white yachts on the water. Her reverse bow looks impressive and fresh, and expresses the innovative, chic soul of Dynamiq yachts. With next-generation exterior styling by Dobroserdov Design, Van Oossanen Naval Architects have engineered an extremely efficient and seaworthy hull able to offer a comfortable ride even in rough conditions. With twin MAN V12 1650 engines she reaches a maximum speed of 21 knots, with a range of 5000 miles at 10 knots, all while consuming as little as 50 litres per hour. With this range the owners can enjoy two seasons during the year – in the Med and the Caribbean. Her shallow draft of 1.8m is ideal for cruising the remote cays and shoal waters Bahamas as well. She has a five cabin layout. The interior is designed by Miami based Giuseppina Arena in modern art deco style and features Fendi furniture, bespoke carpets by OT and is full of soft gold and natural mother of pearl details. She also has a 2.2m ceiling height throughout the interior. The main deck has a 10 person aft pool. The open-air beach club area (with a second bar) allows owners and guests to enjoy the en plein air lifestyle close to the sea. The oversized sundeck of 120 sq. m is divided into two different zones with a hot tub and a weather protected dining area.The real fireplace is located in the main salon and a unique atomiser system featuring scents from the iconic Ferragamo brand, with its latest collection of home perfumes “Bianco di Carrara” for a subtle and luxurious aroma on board. Dynamiq also joined forces with German VIP car outfitter Klassen to develop a bespoke wheelhouse by Klassen, which comes with the same quality and style of Klassen ultra-luxury shuttle vans, mirroring the sporty trim and high-end finishes. "Stefania is the evolution of our full-aluminium Gran Turismo Transatlantic concept and represents everything you would expect in a medium-sized product from a boutique family shipyard: exclusive looks, advanced technologies and attention to detail,” says Sergei Dobroserdov, Dynamiq founder. “The difference from our previous models is that the design and engineering has now been developed to the utmost degree. I am very happy with how the GTT135 looks: she’s modern and elegant with lots of design details and interesting elements. We are happy to state after the sea trials how her many technical innovations take performance and comfort to the next level.” Dynamiq was founded in 2014 by experienced yacht broker and designer Sergei Dobroserdov. Dynamiq is the first company in the superyacht industry to introduce an online configurator, allowing the yacht to be easily and transparently customised down to the last detail. Dynamiq unveiled its first launch, 39m Spring (ex-Jetsetter), at the 2016 Monaco Yacht Show to wide acclaim. The following project, the GTT 115 M/Y Jaaber, was developed in conjunction with the renowned Studio F.A. Porsche design firm and successfully unveiled at the 2017 MYS. The latest addition to the Dynamiq fleet is the GTM 90 Beach Club and new Global series of long-range explorer yachts.Credits: Dynamiq
July 27, 2021
The French-based Ocea shipyard has just begun the construction of a new 32.7m yacht. She will be the tenth motor yacht built by Ocea. Like all her predecessors she will be completely custom built. In the spirit of all Ocea yachts, this aluminium ocean-going yacht will also be capable of circumnavigations in optimal comfort and safety.Reducing the boat’s environmental footprint, in particular its greenhouse gas emissions, was the guiding principle behind the entire design. As a result, this will be the first Ocea yacht with engines that meet IMO Tier III emission standards, allowing it to sail in Emission Control Areas defined by the International Maritime Organization. Paolyre, 32.7m. Ocea’s previous superyacht projectThe yacht will also be equipped with the latest generation of batteries to keep the main on-board comfort features running at night without the need for generators. She will be able to reach a top speed of 15 knots with a range of 4000 miles at 10 knots.Kelonia, 30.2m. Ocea’s previous superyacht projectThe Ocea Group has three production sites on the French Atlantic coast – in Les Sables-d’Olonne, Saint-Nazaire and La Rochelle – as well as a location in Fontenay-le-Comte. The Ocea shipyard is a part of a Ocea Group and pioneer in aluminium shipbuilding. Capable of producing all types of vessels – catamarans, monohulls, displacement hulls, semi-planing hulls, and planing hulls – up to 90 meters long, Ocea Shipbuilding delivers 15 to 20 units every year.Credits: Ocea
July 27, 2021
Sanlorenzo has announced the sale of the eighth unit of its 52Steel line. The 52m yacht was sold less than a month after the sale of the seventh unit. Superyacht has five decks and a tonnage of less than 500GT. The spacious interior offers accommodation for 12 guests in five cabins: a master suite, two doubles and two twins.The entire aft area is one of the revolutionary elements of the 52Steel: the swimming pool with its transparent bottom on the main deck, allows the passage of light into the environment below, a large floodable garage which can be converted into a beach area that can be extended thanks to the folding terraces, creating a magical effect. A solution which, together with the large glass surfaces, reinforces the connection with the sea, making the 52Steel a model designed to open a model designed to unfold outwards and fit naturally into the seascape.The eighth 52Steel is scheduled for delivery in 2022.Sanlorenzo was founded in 1985 in Viareggio by yacht builder Gionvanni Jannetti. In 2005, Massimo Perrotti became the majority shareholder in the shipyard. Sanlorenzo builds yachts ranging from 28.60m to 62m in length. Credits: Sanlorenzo
July 27, 2021
The new Riva’s flagship entered the water on Lake Iseo. Riva 68’ Diable forged in the storied Sarnico shipyard and scheduled to make its debut in September at the Cannes Yachting Festival 2021. The brainchild of Mauro Micheli, founder with Sergio Beretta of Officina Italiana Design, working in partnership with the Product Strategy Committee led by Mr. Piero Ferrari and the Group Engineering Department, this yacht revolutionises the open concept, incorporating exciting technological and functional design innovations that elevate liveability and comfort on board to their maximum level. The innovative built-in hard top is one of the stand-out new features of this yacht. This solution protects and shelters the central areas of the yacht, including the dining area and the helm station on the main deck. The result is total coverage and maximum comfort, without sacrificing the enjoyment and sportiness of an open yacht with a top speed of 40 knots.Another interesting functional design feature is the sunroof that can be opened in two directions (forwards and reverse) for maximum liveability and comfort on the move. The layout of the lower deck features three cabins for six guests, arranged around an open space containing a galley and a dinette for versatility and convenience. The master cabin is amidships, with the twin cabin with single beds to port and the VIP forward.“Riva 68’ Diable is the irresistible temptation to which every Riva owner and fan can’t wait to succumb. It looks like a design from the future, but is also a fantastic journey through Riva’s hallmark style and sophisticated detailing,” says Alberto Galassi, Ferretti Group CEO. “An unrivalled mix of innovation and masterful hand craftsmanship, it offers outstanding performance and unparalleled comfort. I understand the enthusiasm generated around this incredible boat and it gives me immense pleasure.”Riva 68’ Diable will make its official debut in a world premiere at the Cannes Yachting Festival, in September 2021, after which it will move on to the Genoa Boat Show.Riva is part of the Ferretti Group. This Group, led by Chief Executive Officer Alberto Galassi, is now one of the world’s leaders in the construction and sale of luxury yachts and pleasure vessels with a unique portfolio of brands: Ferretti Yachts, Riva, Pershing, Itama, Mochi Craft, CRN, Custom Line and Wally. Credits: Riva
July 26, 2021
The second hull of the new Sanlorenzo 57Steel was sold in collaboration with the French broker Fraser. The 56.7m superyacht with five decks and a tonnage of 1050 GT, has the exterior from Studio Zuccon International Project. The studio is known for creating vessels with functional and lifestyle features normally found on boats of larger sizes. A straight bow gives the yacht a great character, her contemporary lines of extremely clean form, she has a perfect balance between volumes and proportions. The interior will be made by Piero Lissoni. Her layout is untraditional – the wheelhouse has been relocated from the upper deck forward to its own dedicated deck. The owner's cabin is located on the upper deck, a 54 sq. m space overlooking the very large owner deck, a private deck from which to enjoy an exclusive view of the sea’s infinity. The new layout has also made it possible to create a spacious full-beam VIP cabin forward of the main deck that can be used as a second owner's cabin. The yacht can accommodate 12 guests in six cabins. One of the great features is an extraordinary 110 sq. m beach area, created by opening hatches on three sides which become small beaches on the water's edge, illuminated by the transparent-bottomed swimming pool on the main deck. The decision to place the garage at the bow made it possible to create a large space equipped to accommodate tenders of up to 7.5 meters and numerous toys. The yacht will be delivered in June of 2023. Sanlorenzo was founded in 1985 in Viareggio by yacht builder Gionvanni Jannetti. In 2005, Massimo Perrotti became the majority shareholder in the shipyard. Sanlorenzo builds yachts ranging from 28.60m to 62m in length. Credits: Sanlorenzo
July 26, 2021